Nick Kyrgios’ Ex-Coach Had ‘Suspicion’ that Jannik Sinner was ‘Injured’ During US Open Final Against Carlos Alcaraz

Jannik Sinner could not defend the five titles he lifted last year, including the Miami Open, Cincinnati Masters, and the US Open.

Nick Kyrgios’ Ex-Coach Had ‘Suspicion’ that Jannik Sinner was ‘Injured’ During US Open Final Against Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner (Image via X/Jannik Sinner HQ)

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The match between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open final was a bit one-sided if compared to their clash in the Wimbledon and French Open finals. It took Alcaraz nearly three hours to end the tournament in his favor with a four-set win, which also included a 6-1 win in the third set.

The Spaniard dropped a set for the first time in the tournament, smashing 10 aces to Sinner’s two. Alcaraz was also broken just once.

At the press conference after his defeat, the Italian blamed the predictable nature of his game. But Nick Kyrgios‘ former coach, Simon Rea, during The Tennis podcast, suspected that Sinner might have been suffering from an injury.

It looked like that to me. I’m in awe of him at his best, but it just looked like he was missing a gear or a level, so that was my suspicion watching it play out in real time. I was wondering if it was the stomach; it looked like it was really impeding the serve.

Sinner took a medical timeout during his semifinal match against Felix Auger-Aliassime, who took the second set off him but eventually lost. Because he failed to defend the US Open title, Alcaraz removed him from the top of the rankings table to occupy the spot for the first time since September 2023. Sinner has the chance to once reclaim his spot, but for that to happen, he has to win the China Open, where last year, he lost to the six-time Grand Slam champion in the final.

Jimmy Arias on why Jannik Sinner struggles when he faces Carlos Alcaraz

Jannik Sinner has become nearly invincible whenever he faces opponents not named Carlos Alcaraz. Since 2024, Sinner has lost just 11 times, seven of which were to Alcaraz alone, including four times this season (Italian Open, French Open, US Open, and Cincinnati Masters, where he gave the walkover). Former Grand Slam mixed doubles champion Jimmy Arias gave his take on why Sinner struggles a lot whenever he locks horns with the Murcia native.

Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz
Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Jannik Sinner HQ)

If you hit hard against him, it just comes back at you faster and deeper, and you’re in more trouble. You have to lift the ball a bit and keep it out of his strike zone, and I think Alcaraz does that and gives him so many different looks. He will give him a spinner and a slice, and whack one 100mph, and it seems to keep Sinner a bit off balance and unsure.

Jimmy Arias said on the Inside-In podcast

The 24-year-old now trails 5-10 in the head-to-head matchups against Alcaraz and is also 1-2 in Grand Slam finals, after defeat in New York and Paris. So far this season, Sinner has played six finals and taken home the Majors at Wimbledon and the Australian Open. He, as well as Alcaraz, will next feature at the China Open.

Sinner so far has failed to defend the five titles he won last year. He chose not to defend the Rotterdam Open and missed the Miami Open while serving his three-month doping ban.

Sinner then failed to defend the Halle Open as eventual winner Alexander Bublik knocked him out in the second round. Because he was ill, he gave the walkover to Alcaraz in the Cincinnati Masters final, before losing the US Open.

There are two more tournaments where Sinner will be bidding to defend his title. Last year on the Asian swing, he defeated Novak Djokovic to clinch the Shanghai Masters. He later claimed his career’s first ATP Finals by defeating America’s Taylor Fritz.

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